Charita Goshay: In age of instant information, nothing's private

Thursday

In this age of “shirtpocket” technology, you’d think by now that people would understand that anything they say can and will be used against them.

In this age of “shirtpocket” technology, you’d think by now that people would understand that anything they say can and will be used against them.

We’ve all said hurtful, distasteful and politically incorrect things we later regretted. Newsrooms are notorious for black humor. What’s different is that whatever you blurt out now can be preserved for all eternity and sent instantly around the world.

Case in point: It was disclosed last week that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick could lose his job for lying under oath about an affair.

Kilpatrick was caught mainly because he mistakenly assumed that “delete” means “delete.”

Kilpatrick might have gotten away with it in years past, but those days vanished with the telegraph. Thanks to technology and a clearly disgruntled insider, the Detroit Free Press was able to unearth five-year-old, hotsy-totsy text messages exchanged between the married mayor and his female chief of staff.

Some of their mash notes contain the kind of icky detail that makes you want to take a shower -- and not a cold one.

Jesus forgives

In trying to be one of the boys, ESPN host Dana Jacobson nearly lost her job after someone posted a boozy, profanity-filled rant she recently made at a private roast.

Some Christians -- the Catholic League, in particular – called for Jacobson’s head for an unprintable, obscene remark she made in reference to Notre Dame University’s famous “Touchdown Jesus” statue -- as if the Fighting Irish aren’t suffering enough.

The offended are arguing that a double standard exists, that had Jacobson made the same jaw-dropping joke about any other religious figure, she would have been instantly fired.

Remember, Jesus forgives. Boosters don’t.

Private affair

In hopes of dialing down the rancor, Jacobson has issued written and on-air apologies, and also was suspended by ESPN. What likely saved her job is the fact that it was a private event.

But in this age of instant information, is there even such a thing anymore?

Internet sites such as YouTube depend on people to showcase events that used to be private affairs.

It isn’t all the fault of technology. There’s something weird going on in our culture. Even as our privacy erodes, the desire to be famous is driving some people to ridiculous lengths for attention, to the point where they’re literally giving their information away on such Web sites as Facebook and MySpace.

The latest example is Fox’s reality series, “Moment of Truth,” a game show in which contestants must answer embarrassing and potentially home-wrecking questions while strapped to a lie detector.

Is the economy that wobbly?

One contestant trying to win $100,000 instead watched as his marriage unraveled on network TV.